Soul Searching
by abvamp
Summary: Warrick finds his mate, Eric Delko. But the young cuban isn't sure about his feelings for the beta, afraid to admit that he is gay. Slash, don't like then please don't read. This is the third part of my Were Verse.
1. A New Life

Soul Searching series.  
Chapter One: A New Life.  
Fandom: CSI/CSI Miami.  
Pairing: Warrick/Eric.  
Author: Aiden.  
Rating: FRT 13  
Warning: Language, fluff, angst, supernatural.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* thanks girl as always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: Warrick wants his mate.  
Author's note: Third part of my Were Verse.

Once the gates opened, Eric looked around as he followed Warrick towards the mansion. He knew he was gawking as he took in his surroundings, but it was all so grand. He'd heard that the wolf packs were rich, but he'd had no idea they were _this _rich.

As he followed the tall, dark man into the building, he found his gaze straying to the other man's ass. It was hard to miss, seeing how it was right in front of him, he snorted. For years, Eric had always assumed he was ass-man because he had been constantly checking out the girls. Much to his surprise, as he grew older, his ogling grew to include men – and each time he caught himself doing it, he felt guilty. Some days, he could still hear his grandmother's voice, like broken glass, telling him he would go to hell for what he was thinking. Sighing, he really wished he could turn those voices off. He was tired of being at war with himself.

Shaking his head he looked up, trying to concentrate on his surroundings.

"Wait here," Warrick told him. "I'll find Horatio for you."

Once in the mansion, Eric looked around, surprised at the luxury and tasteful decorations; it looked like a home from one of those magazines his sisters were always looking at.

Eric followed the dark enigmatic man with his eyes as Warrick headed down the hallway. _Damn_. This was just wrong, he reminded himself, rubbing his forehead. This wasn't him; he wasn't even gay.

A few minutes later, Eric saw his boss coming down the hallway towards him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Horatio asked, smiling at his friend.

"I heard you were quitting your job," Eric said. He'd been confused since he'd heard the rumor back at the station. Not quite believing it, Eric had come out to the compound to see his boss.

Horatio nodded his head. "You heard right. I quit my job. I'm staying here at the mansion with my mate." Horatio's heart ached when he saw the emotions flashing in Eric's eyes - disbelief, shock… sadness.

"What? Why?" Eric asked, not believing his ears.

Horatio sighed, not knowing how much he should reveal. He'd known that someone would come by sooner or later to ask him why he'd quit his job – but he was still reluctant to reveal his motivation. "I'm needed here," he said simply.

"The city needs you, H," Eric said firmly, trying desperately to think of something that would change Horatio's mind.

"My mate needs me more, Eric. My pack is counting on me now," Horatio said softly, hoping his smile would convince Eric that he was exactly where he wanted to be. "And I'm sure you, Calleigh and everyone else at FPF will do an excellent job protecting the city."

Eric stared at Horatio. "You're giving up your job for…," he waved his arms around. "For this?"

"No, I'm leaving my job because I'm needed here," Horatio said patiently.

Eric shook his head, more confused than ever. "Have you really thought this through?" he asked his boss and friend.

"Yes, Eric, I have. There is no place else I'd rather be right now than here with my mate." Horatio had known his decision would be hard for Eric to understand. Considering the young man's religious background, Horatio wondered Eric would say if he found out that his mate was a man.

In that moment, Eric realized that nothing he said would change Horatio's mind. "Okay." he sighed, "I hope you'll be happy here, H."

"I will be," Horatio smiled. "Don't worry. I'll come to visit, and you and Calleigh are welcome here any time."

"Yeah, okay," Eric said softly, not sure what to do now that he'd failed in his mission to convince Horatio to come back to the lab. "I'll go now..." He turned around and walked away without saying another word.

Warrick had been waiting and watching, trying to take in every detail of his mate. Part of him was elated that he'd finally found the soul mate… He could barely wait to make that connection with Eric Delko… even the name sounded sexy and arousing. When he saw his mate's shoulders drop in defeat, Warrick wondered what the two humans were discussing. As Eric turned away, Warrick decided to follow him, hoping to get some more time with his mate before he left the compound.

"Hey, leaving so soon?" Warrick walked up to Eric, smiling at his mate.

Distracted by thoughts of the lab without Horatio, Eric turned around. "Uhm, what?" he swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. He knew he shouldn't be so emotional about one of his team mates leaving the lab, but this felt so… _wrong_. He'd never realized how much the lab was a reflection of the redhead – until the man had left.

"Don't you want to stay? I can give you a tour of the mansion, and you can meet some of my brothers," Warrick suggested, smiling at his mate.

Eric shook his head. "No, sorry, I've got to go."

Something about the way Eric dressed gave Warrick a clue of what his mate would like. "Why don't we meet up later? I know this great club. You'd love it," Warrick said, moving closer to Eric.

Did the wolf just ask him out on a date? Shocked at his boldness, Eric backed away from the other man. "Excuse me?" he said bitingly, wanting to make sure that Warrick would take the warning for what it was.

Warrick was getting a strange vibe from his mate, but he needed more information before he could proceed with a proper wooing. "I was wondering what you were doing tonight and if you wanted to go out to a club together," he said confidently. "On a date," he added to clear up any misunderstanding.

Eric frowned at Warrick. "No. Thank you," he said cuttingly. "I don't date men," he snarled. Eric knew there were better ways to handle this situation, and if he hadn't been so angry and hurt at Horatio's defection, he might have employed a little more finesse. But he was not in the mood to mince words.

Turning around, he stalked away, leaving the other man rooted to the spot.

Watching Eric chatting to the beta, Horatio noticed how close the beta was standing to the younger man. When his CSI, turned around and left the compound in a huff, he became even more curious about what the beta had said to his friend. Eric was normally friendly and easy-going, always ready with a smile or quip.

Nick who was standing next to him smirked. "That went well," he snorted.

"What do you mean?" Horatio asked the alpha.

Nick smiled. "Warrick has found his mate. Now the courtship begins."

Shocked, Horatio stared Nick, hardly believing what the alpha had said. "You've got to be kidding me. Eric? No way. He's as straight as they come."

With a smirk, Nick shrugged. "That's never stopped one of us before. And when Warrick wants something, Warrick finds a way."

"Well, in that case, I wish him luck, because I'm pretty sure Eric will never agree to a mating," Horatio grinned evilly.

Nick smiled confidently. "We'll see."

~.~

Later that night, Eric went in search of a much-needed distraction. Entering his favorite club, his mind was still wrapped around the conversation he had with the dark, handsome werewolf. _Warrick_. He still couldn't believe the man had asked him out. Eric wondered if there was something wrong with him… was he giving out some sort of vibes that invited that kind of attention? Did he look like the type that wanted a man to ask him out?!

Walking in, he was greeted by the bouncer. "Hey, Eric."

"Hi, John," Eric said, smiling at his friend. "Is it good tonight?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, the place is packed. I'm certain you will find someone to take home tonight."

"Nice." Nodding his head, Eric walked into the club. He knew that he was looking for company tonight, but he wasn't sure he'd find it here. This was not the first time in months that he'd felt that sense of dissatisfaction, but he'd been unable to do anything to make it go away. All the women he met where just interested in one thing, some meaningless sex. Once upon a time, that had been enough for him, but lately he started to feel restless, he wanted… no, he _needed _more.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Eric didn't notice the tall dark wolf standing in the dark corner, keeping an eye on him.

Warrick had followed his mate inside the club with every intention protecting him if needed. Now that he'd found his mate, he wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Eric was his to protect and cherish… and Warrick always took excellent care of his… _possessions_.

Warrick growled when Eric met up with a group of men and women sitting at a booth. His friends were a little more touchy-feely than what Warrick liked, hugging and touching his mate as if they had the right. Warrick growled. _Eric belonged to him._

Stepping out of the shadows, he stalked towards Eric and his friends. "Good evening, Eric Delko," he greeted his mate.

Surprised at Warrick's sudden appearance, Eric asked, "What are you doing here?"

Warrick smiled at him. "Just clubbing, like you. This was the club I had been talking about earlier." Moving closer to his mate, Warrick laid his hand on Eric's arm, his fingers skimming over the warm, tanned skin he was beginning to yearn for.

Eric pulled away from Warrick. "What the hell are you doing? Don't touch me."

"Eric, is this man bothering you?" One of Eric's friends asked him.

Not happy with his mate's reaction, Warrick growled at the skinny man. "Stay out of this."

"I don't know what your problem is or what you want with me, but frankly, I don't care," Eric told Warrick, snarling angrily at the other man. "Leave me the hell alone. Got that?"

Despite the words, Warrick was happy with his mate's feistiness. Smirking, he shook his head. There was no way he would leave his mate alone in this club with all these people with sex on their minds. "That's okay, I'd rather stick around… unless… you want to come home with me?" Warrick knew that was probably not the best thing he could say to his enraged mate, but really, he could dream.

"Are you out of your mind?" Eric spat out. "Didn't you just hear a word I said?"

Warrick's affable expression disappeared in an instant. Letting his eyes glow golden for a second, he said very softly, "Oh, I am very serious." Stepping dangerously close to his wayward mate, Warrick growled, "We need to talk… in private."

Eric felt a small shiver of fear run down his spine. "No, we don't," said firmly, not wanting to betray how unsure he felt at the wolf's demands.

Sensing his mate's weakness, Warrick smiled and moved closer. This close, he could pick up his mate's scent, and it was making him impossibly hard. The heat and flush on Eric's cheeks was just icing on the cake. "Mmhmm," he murmured, coming very close to moaning in his mate's ear.

Reacting to Warrick's obvious arousal, Eric cursed when he felt himself get hard. "Fuck." Looking up at Warrick's wolfish grin, Eric panicked and pushed Warrick back forcefully. "Leave me alone," he warned.

Warrick backed up, holding his hands up. "Yeah, can't deny that, can you?" he said, pointedly looking down at Eric's obvious erection.

"Stay away from me," Eric spat out. "There's nothing here for _you_."

Right at that moment, there was only one thing that Warrick wanted, and it involved dragging his mate home to bond with him. But no self-respecting werewolf would even dream of forcing a mate to bond with them. And he could never bring himself to hurt his mate, even if it was painful to stay away from Eric.

"I'll leave you alone for now," Warrick said, licking his lips. "But I'll be around. When you least expect it, you'll look around and I'll be there… waiting for you." Turning around, Warrick headed for the bar.

"Are you okay, Eric?" One of his friends asked.

Eric nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine." But he was far from fine. He could feel the wolf's gaze on him. "Damn." Turning around he saw Warrick sitting at the bar, his eyes never leaving him once.

Minutes later, he looked up again and saw that Warrick was still sitting there - his eyes fixed on him. Eric growled. "Damn it!"

As much as he tried to tune Warrick out, Eric found himself disturbed by the weight of the wolf's gaze on him. Feeling aroused at having the powerful man's attention on him, Eric decided to get out of there, before he did something he'd regret. Turning towards his friends, he said, "I'm leaving."

"What? Why? Because of that guy?" one of his friends asked him.

Eric looked away. "Uhm, yeah." Actually that wasn't the reason, but he couldn't do this. He was confused right now, he needed time to think. And that guy staring at him all night didn't help much. He stood up and left.

Warrick watched his mate leave the club and followed him out. "Leaving already?" he called out to Eric.

"Leave me alone," Eric said as he approached his car.

Warrick smiled. "Don't tell me you didn't feel it."

"Feel what?" Eric replied, surprised by the comment.

"Yeah, keep denying it," Warrick smirked, "but you will be mine sooner or later."

"Just leave me alone, I can't…I just can't deal with this right now."

Warrick walked after him. "You'll have to deal with it sooner or later. You're mine and don't you forget it."

Eric snorted, like he could forget his own reaction to the other man's arousing touch. Getting into his car, he looked at Warrick one last time. Starting his car, he drove off.

Warrick smiled as he recognized the lingering look his mate had shot his way. Oh, yeah. Eric wanted this, too. But Warrick acknowledged that he'd gone about this courtship all wrong. He couldn't push his mate; he had to be gentle. He would have his mate even if it meant wooing him to death.

Warrick turned towards his car, a plan already forming in his head. Smiling, he at in his car for a few minutes, deep thoughts. With a wolfish grin, he started his car and drove off.

_O__h, yeah. Eric Delko wouldn't know what hit him._

TBC.


	2. A Stubborn Mate

Soul Searching series.  
Chapter Two: A Stubborn Mate.  
Fandom: CSI/CSI Miami.  
Pairing: Warrick/Eric.  
Author: Aiden.  
Rating: FRT 13  
Warning: Language, fluff, angst, supernatural.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* thanks girl as always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: This is going to be harder then he thought.  
Author's note: Third part of my Were Verse.

A few days after his explosive encounter with Warrick Brown, Eric walked into the crime lab, on his way to log case evidence. As he entered the trace area, Calleigh, who was leaning over some samples spread out on the table, greeted him.

"Hi, Eric." Her voice sounded smooth and Southern, like always.

"Good morning, Calleigh," Eric said, smiling at the blonde.

Still looking down at her evidence, she said absently, "There is a package for you in the break room."

Eric frowned. "From who?"

"I don't know. There's no return address," Calleigh answered, shrugging.

Curious, Eric walked towards the break room. He wasn't expecting anything for one of his cases, and anything personal, would have gone to his apartment. Entering the sunny room, he saw a small box sitting on the table. As he walked towards the table, he looked at the package suspiciously. It was wrapped in dark red paper, but no card was attached.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Calleigh asked, standing behind him.

Eric jumped, startled by the petite blonde. "God, Calleigh, make some noise, will you?" he muttered, his heart pounding out of his chest.

"What?" she said innocently. "I called out your name twice, but you didn't hear me." Calleigh snickered at him, but her eyes were focused on the mysterious gift.

Picking up the package carefully, Eric started to unwrap it. When he'd finished clearing away the paper, there was a black, square leather box in his hand.

"Wow, that looks expensive," Calleigh commented, taking in the name embossed on the box.

Eric snorted at that understatement. Opening the box, he looked at the content wide-eyed. "Wow," he whispered, shocked at the gift inside.

"What is it?" Calleigh said, trying to look over his shoulder.

"It's a… I can't… it's too," Eric stammered, unable to wrap his brain around the gift.

Sighing, Calleigh stepped in beside Eric, trying to look inside the box. "Let me see."

Holding the box in front of Calleigh, Eric asked, "Do you know how much this watch costs?" Just the tone of his voice indicated that it was a lot of money.

Calleigh shook her head.

"Thousands," Eric explained, staring at the watch with envy and dismay.

"Do you have any idea who sent you this?" she asked him, a small frown marring her brow.

Puzzled, Eric thought about everyone he knew. Nobody would have that kind of money to spend on a watch… for him. "I have no idea who would have known that I've been wanting this watch… well… forever. Besides, this costs about a year's salary."

"And someone is just giving it to you as a gift? Who would give you something like that?" Calleigh asked.

"I don't know," he said with a pained sigh, "but I can't accept it. I'm going to have to return it."

Calleigh nodded, "Yes, of course. But if you don't know who it's coming from, how will you return it?"

Eric didn't even want to think about parting with the watch, even though he'd only had it for mere seconds. Figuring it couldn't hurt to try it on at least once, he took it out of the box.

"Wait there is something stuck to the bottom," he said, noticing a piece of paper. Taking it out, he saw the short note. _'I hope you like it. W'_ was written on it.

Eric moaned. "Damn." He should have known that it was too good to be true.

"Do you know who it's from?" Calleigh looked at her friend.

Eric nodded. "Yeah, its from a guy I met a few days ago. He belongs to the werewolf pack Horatio is part of."

"Oh, wow. Now there's someone I'd like to meet," Calleigh said, looking at the watch again. "Why don't I ever have a boyfriend like that?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Eric snapped, angry with the conflicted emotions this gift evoked.

"Mmhmm, if he's not your boyfriend, then why would he send you something so expensive?" Calleigh mused. "Somebody must be very pleased with you."

Eric looked down and blushed, wondering if he'd given the other man a sign that he'd welcome his pursuit. Warrick couldn't have noticed his tiny slip. "I don't know."

Calleigh saw her friend blush. "Yeah, right. My, my, Eric. You certainly are interested in this guy."

"I'm not," Eric said in denial. Who was he trying to convince - Calleigh or himself? He shook his head; there was no way he'd ever go out with Warrick.

"Is he handsome?" Calleigh asked wistfully, trying to get in her dose of romance, even if vicariously.

"I hope so," someone said behind them, his voice deep and dark.

Calleigh turned around and smiled at Warrick. "You _are_ handsome. It's a shame you aren't interested in women." Extending her hand, she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Calleigh Duquesne."

"I'm Warrick Brown," the beta smiled at her. Horatio had told him about the blond firearms expert.

"Warrick, I can't accept this," Eric said, extending the black box towards the other man. "And how did you know I wanted this watch?"

"I talked to your former boss," Warrick explained, smiling at his mate. Even when he frowned, he was adorable. "And it's yours," he said, pointing at the gift. "I won't take it back."

Eric shook his head. "I really can't accept this gift."

"Yes, you can," Calleigh said.

"It's too much, Calleigh," Eric whispered, feeling as if Warrick was waiting to spring a trap around him.

Warrick shrugged his shoulders. "I can afford it, so don't you worry about it. Besides, I want to ask you out to dinner this Friday," he said, the matter of the gift completely forgotten from his mind.

"No, I…" Eric started.

"Just dinner, no strings attached," Warrick said in a rush. "It's an easy way to learn more about each other. I won't pressure you to do anything you don't want to do. I promise." Warrick walked closer to Eric and touched his hand discretely. He inhaled deeply, his nostrils widening slightly as he took in the scent of his mate. He could feel a shiver travel down his spine.

Feeling a tingling where Warrick had touched him, Eric didn't dare to look up. "I don't know, let me think about it," Eric said softly, finally lifting his head and looking at the other man in the eyes. As he feared, Eric felt something stir inside him.

Warrick nodded, neither pleased nor displeased at this turn. He would have hoped for more, but at least his mate was not banishing him altogether. He had to believe that it was a good sign. "Fair enough, I call you." Smiling at his mate, he then turned to Calleigh. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine, I assure you," she said, flirting lightly with the tall, dark man.

Looking one last time at his mate, Warrick let his eyes fill with love for Eric. "I'll see you later," he said and walked out of the lab.

Eric followed Warrick's departure, his eyes focusing on the man's tight ass. "Fuck," he cursed when he felt himself getting hard.

"Oh, my, you're so busted," Calleigh giggled when she noticed his predicament.

"I have too…excuse me," Eric turned around and rushed out of the lab.

~.~

That afternoon, another package arrived for Eric.

"He really does like you," Calleigh said, sighing at the unfairness of it all.

Rolling his eyes at her, Eric opened the package and looked inside. It was a diver's knife, but not _just_ any diver's knife.

"No way," Eric whispered to himself, hardly believing it as he took the knife out of the box. "You know this isn't even on the market yet, right?"

"Mmhmm, a boyfriend with benefits. I like that. It shows class." Calleigh looked at the knife, then at Eric.

"He is not my boy-" Eric started.

Calleigh cut him off. "You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Maybe, you might even start believing it too. So," she said with a smile, "are you going to go out with him now?"

"I don't know," Eric said, staring at the knife in his hands. It's not that he could be sway by a few gifts… alright, a few great gifts… but it was kind of flattering for someone to go out of his way to give him something that showed he was thinking about him. Eric sighed. This was all getting so complicated.

Calleigh smiled at him. "Okay, if you're not planning to go out with him, then I'll give it a shot."

"What?" Eric looked up, startled out of his reverie. "You're not going out with him," he said, sounding possessive and jealous in one breath.

"I gather that you've changed your mind?" When Eric only scowled at her, she tried to reason with him. "Eric, he is good looking, hot, has a great body and soulful eyes. What's not to like about this guy?" Calleigh said with a dreamy look.

Eric sighed, she was right. "Okay, but just dinner."

"I think he will be very happy about that. Go have fun and see what happens," Calleigh said as she walked towards the door. Turning around, she grinned. "And if it doesn't work out, I'll keep myself available. You never know what could happen."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Hey, a girl can dream, right?" she asked, walking out of the room.

~.~

"I'm so glad you accepted my invitation," Warrick said after they had been seated at their table.

Eric looked around, recognizing the restaurant from the fancy magazines Calleigh always seems to be reading. "Thanks for the knife," he said, looking at Warrick. "I won't ask how you came by it. It isn't even on the market yet."

Warrick grinned, delighted that his mate was pleased with the gift. "I have my connections. And you're welcome, I'm glad you like it."

"Why are you doing this?" Eric questioned, wondering why someone like Warrick, who had it all, could be interested in him.

"Because I like you," Warrick said simply, as if that made all the sense in the world.

Eric looked at Warrick suspiciously. "Just like that?"

"I'm not sure how to explain this," Warrick started. He wasn't sure how to tell Eric that he was his mate without scaring the other man. "How much do you know about us?"

"Well," Eric said slowly, "I read a lot of the books that H gave me, when he wanted me to understand your race."

Warrick nodded, so he probably knew about the mating part. "You know about mates?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Eric nodded, remembering how strange he found the notion of everyone having that one person that was their perfect match. "The werewolf knows when someone is his mate the minute they see them."

"That is right. Speed knew the minute he laid eyes on Horatio that he was his mate." Warrick looked at his mate with concern when he noticed Eric's shock. "Is something wrong?"

"H's mate is a _man_?" Eric asked him, looking scandalized.

"Yeah, he didn't tell you?" Warrick hoped it wouldn't put Eric off.

Eric shook his head. "No, he didn't." All of the sudden it started to dawn on him. "Wait. You think I'm your…_mate_?"

Warrick grinned, happy to be able to share his secret. "Yes, you are my mate."

Stunned, Eric shook his head. Even though he'd asked the question, he fully expected the other man to deny it or reply in the negative. "No, I'm not your mate. This is crazy," Eric muttered as he shoved his chair back and stood up. "This was a mistake, I'm sorry. I'll make sure the gifts are returned to you."

Warrick stood up as well. "I told you - they are yours to keep. I don't want them back," he sighed. "I just want you," he whispered.

Eric shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't do this." He didn't know why he was so upset. Maybe if it had been a quick, forgetful fling, he might have been persuaded. But there was no way in hell he'd be bringing another _man_ to meet his parents.

Mates?! Absolutely out of the question.

Warrick watched as his mate walked away. Sitting back down with a growl, he cursed. This was going to be harder then he'd originally thought. But he was not giving up. He would get his mate in the end.

TBC.


	3. Love Lost?

Soul Searching series.  
Chapter Three: Love Lost?  
Fandom: CSI/CSI Miami.  
Pairing: Warrick/Eric.  
Author: Aiden.  
Rating: FRT 13  
Warning: Language, angst, supernatural.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* thanks girl as always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: Warrick resaves some shocking news.  
Author's note: Third part of my Were Verse.

Stalking into Nick's office at the mansion, Danny stood before his alpha. "Okay, what the fuck is wrong with Warrick?"

Looking up from his paperwork, Nick gazed at the blond's flushed face and irritated expression. "What do you mean?"

"I just asked him how he was doing and he almost bit my head off," Danny growled.

Having been the recipient of Warrick's snapping, Nick commiserated. "Mate problems."

"Really?" Surprised with the revelation, Danny's anger evaporated; now there was a problem he understood. "He found his mate?" Danny knew he was a bit out of the loop since he and Don had been visiting with the Lunar Pack in DC. Despite his pack mate's reassurances, Danny wanted to see how Ryan was doing with his new mate.

Completely unsympathetic with Warrick's plight, Nick nodded his head and grinned. "Yeah, but the young man is very stubborn."

"Wow. From our pack, I thought for sure Warrick would know how to handle his mate," Danny said absently. Seeing the puzzled look on Nick's face, Danny explained, "Well, he's always been able to handle you."

Not liking the crack about being 'managed' by his beta, Nick glared at Danny.

"So, who is he?" Danny asked, happy for his pack brother. The blond had complete faith in Warrick's ability to manage his mate – eventually.

"His name is Eric Delko, and he was on Horatio's old team on the police force," he explained. "When he came here looking for Horatio, Warrick realized that Delko was his mate. He's been pursuing him ever since."

"Alright, Warrick found his mate," Danny said, grinning. "So what's the problem?"

"Delko is Catholic, and he's not sure that he should be having feelings for another man." Nick sighed.

While Nick could understand how frustrating it was to have your mate fight the pull, his beta had been grumpy for the past few days and that was irritating the alpha.

Danny shrugged. "So, Warrick should tell him who he is and fuck him through the mattress. I don't see the problem."

"Actually, Warrick's already told him, but it didn't help much." Smirking at the 'fuck him through the mattress' comment, Nick grinned. "You need to stop hanging around Greg and Tony so much."

"What?" Tony said as he walked in the office and caught his mate's comment. "Yeah, sure, blame it all on Tony," he said as he plopped down on his mate's couch.

Smiling at Tony in greeting, Danny looked back at Nick. "What happened when Warrick told him?"

"Warrick told him during dinner. Delko high-tailed it out of the restaurant." Nick said smiling at the image of his tough, macho beta getting dumped in such a public place

Sitting down across from his alpha, Danny grimaced. "Ouch! So what is Warrick gonna do about it?"

"I have no idea," Nick said, shrugging. Whatever his beta was planning, he hoped it was soon.

"Well, Warrick can always kidnap him," Tony said, glaring at his mate, remembering how he'd become Nick's mate.

At that moment, Warrick stormed into the office, his face thunderous. "He's refusing all my calls," the beta growled, slamming the door behind him.

"Warrick, take a deep breath and calm down," Nick said soothingly.

Danny looked sympathetically at the beta; he had a pretty good idea how Warrick felt. He'd had problems with his own mate before the detective had given in to the pull. "It will all work out. I'm sure of it. Look at me and Don," he smiled at Warrick. "He is even one of us now."

Warrick growled, "Danny. Shut up, you're not helping." He didn't need to be reminded that Don Flack, who had hated werewolves, had chosen to be turned by his mate - and couldn't keep his hands off Danny.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Walking over to it, Danny opened it. "Yeah?" he asked when he saw a guard standing on the other side.

"There is a woman at the door. She's asking for Warrick," the guard informed them.

Nick waved the guard inside. "Who is she?" he asked.

Glancing at his notepad, he said, "Calleigh Duquesne. She said that Warrick knew her, and that she was a colleague of Mr. Eric Delko."

Walking out of the room without a word, Warrick headed for the main entrance. When he saw the pretty blond standing in the hallway, he smiled. "Hello, Ms. Duquesne."

"Oh, please. It's Calleigh." She returned his smile. "Wow, this is a lovely place you have here."

"Thank you." Warrick replied formally. What he really wanted to know was what she was doing there, but he didn't want to seem rude.

Sensing the other man's tension, Calleigh got to the point right away. "Eric told me what happened at the restaurant. Is he really your mate?" she asked, smiling widely.

Warrick looked surprised. "You know about us?"

"Of course, she does," Horatio said as he walked up and hugged the blond. "Nick told me you were here."

Calleigh looked over at Warrick. "H made sure we knew everything there was to know about werewolves." Turning to face Horatio, she chided him. "So, where is your mate? I'd really like to meet him."

"Calleigh," Mac said as he approached his favorite firearms expert. "What are you doing here? It's so good to see you."

Smiling, she reached out to Mac. "It's good to see you, too. I've missed y'all."

"Alright, enough chit-chat," Warrick said, trying to get their attention. "Why are you here, Calleigh? Did Eric say anything?"

"Well, actually," the blond hedged, "I talked to him and told him how stupid he was to let you go."

Horatio smiled. That was so Calleigh.

"And?" Warrick looked at her expectantly, "What did he say?" Right now, he'd take all the help he could get.

"Well, we talked for a while, and it seemed that he is afraid of how his family would react if he brought home a werewolf mate." Taking a deep breath, Calleigh bit her lip nervously. She hated being the bearer of bad news. "You see - one of his brothers is a hunter."

"What?!" Nick's voice echoed through the hallway as he walked up to the small group with his mate by his side.

"Oh, fuck, that _is_ bad," Danny said as he, too, joined the small group. When Greg, Speed and Don approached as well, it looked like they were having the pack meeting right in the middle of the hallway.

Nick looked at his pack brothers and then at Warrick. "I don't have to tell you what that means, right?"

Warrick looked at Nick with saddened eyes. "He can't be my mate," the beta said softly, agony evident in his voice. Lowering his head, he walked away.

"What?" Tony asked shocked. "Why not?"

"If his brother is a hunter, that means that all of the males in that family have hunter blood," Nick explained with a grimly face. "Even if it's dormant now, it's possible that one day, Warrick's mate will turn against him and the pack."

"If - _when_ - that happens, Warrick would be forced to kill his own mate," Danny continued.

Don looked at his mate. "Yeah, but you can't be sure that will happen, right?" Despite his earlier nasty behavior, the pack had quickly realized that Don was a romantic at heart and liked happy, tidy endings.

"No, we can't be sure but we can't take the risk of exposing the pack to that kind of threat," Greg sighed.

"Does Eric know this?" Mac asked Nick.

"He has to," Nick said firmly. "Their lore and traditions go back as far as ours does. Didn't he ever tell you this, Horatio?" the alpha asked the redhead.

Horatio shook his head. "No he didn't. But then again, I gathered that he never thought he'd be a werewolf's mate. Besides, Eric is not the type. He would never hurt anyone of your kind. Actually, he's always been fascinated with your traditions. He knows that you are good to the humans and that you would never hurt us."

"He has a kind heart," Calleigh whispered. "Can't you give him a chance?"

Nick looked at her. "No, I'm sorry. The risk is too great."

"My mate never turned on me," Gil said as he approached the group.

Frowning, Nick looked over at the elder wolf. "Damn, I forget about him."

"Yes, I can see that," Gil said, gazing sadly at the alpha. "Christian was the kindest mate any wolf could wish for, and he had four active hunters in his family. So, don't you tell me that it isn't worth the risk Nick Stokes."

Feeling a like a reprimanded cub, Nick had the decency to look down. "Sorry."

"You'd better be," Gil growled. "And now, go find Warrick and tell him he can continue to pursue his mate." With that, Gil turned around and walked away.

"I guess that's settled," Danny said, grinning at his mate. It wasn't every day that the pack watched as their alpha was chastised.

"No, it isn't." Warrick approached his pack mates. "I will not put the pack in jeopardy by bringing home a mate, who will one day, turn on me and my brothers."

TBC.


	4. Taking A Change

Soul Searching series.  
Chapter Four: Taking A Change.  
Fandom: CSI/CSI Miami.  
Pairing: Warrick/Eric.  
Author: Aiden.  
Rating: FRT 13  
Warning: Language, angst, fluff, supernatural.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* thanks girl as always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: Some friends help Warrick and Eric to take a change.  
Author's note: Third part of my Were Verse.

Calleigh walked out of the mansion and headed to her car. She knew this situation wasn't good, but she didn't know what to do to fix it.

"Calleigh, hold on," someone called out.

Turning around, she saw Danny jog up to her. "Can you talk to Eric? Tell him that there is nothing to worry about."

She looked at the blond were while her mind spun. "I'll try," she said, nodding her head.

"I know how Warrick is feeling at this moment," Danny shared quietly. "Something similar happened to me and my mate. It's all good now - he even became one of us," he grinned from ear to ear. "But when a mate doesn't answer the pull, it's painful for both of mates."

"Are you going to talk to Warrick?" Calleigh asked, concerned for the tall were.

Danny nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna knock some sense in that thick head of his."

"Don't hurt him too much," she grinned at him.

Danny laughed at her. "I like you Calleigh Duquesne."

"I hope I can change Eric's mind," Calleigh said, commiserating with the task ahead of them.

"Good luck with that," Danny smiled at her, "I'll see you later."

"Keep me posted," Calleigh turned around and walked to her car.

"Will do," Danny promised her. After he watched her drive off, he went in search of his friend; he had a beta that needed talking to.

~.~

Agitated and angry, Warrick paced in the living room, resembling a caged animal. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. He'd finally found his mate, and in less than a week, he'd had lost him again.

"Warrick?" Danny walked into the living room. When he didn't get a response, he tried again. "Warrick?!"

Snapped out of his reverie, Warrick looked at his brother. "What do you want?"

"Listen, you can't let this get to you-"

Warrick cut him off. "What do you suggest I do about it?" his tone harsh and aggressive.

Danny laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Take a chance. Show him that he is yours and that you are his. We both know what will happen if you don't answer the pull."

"I…I don't…I can't," Warrick said, sounding confused and desperate.

Danny eyes flashed yellow, angry that the beta was picking that very moment to be stubborn. "You'd rather spend the rest of your life miserable and lonely? Regretting your choices instead of going to your mate and letting him know that there's nothing to be worried about? You love him, right?" When Warrick nodded, he continued. "So then, what's the problem?"

"Danny, you don't understand. He has Hunter's blood." Warrick felt very tired all of the sudden.

Danny looked at beta for a moment. "Let me ask you this - did you know he had Hunter blood when you first met him?"

"Uhm…I don't." Warrick looked at Danny, a puzzled look on his face. The young blond was right; he'd never sensed the Hunter blood when he'd been close to Eric. After a few minutes of mulling over the point the blond was making, he felt some of the tension bleed out of him. "You know… you're starting to remind me of Ryan."

Danny smirked. "Yeah, and to be honest with you, it's scaring the shit out of me."

Warrick laughed, feeling better than he had in days. "You're right. Now, I just need to convince my mate."

"That's easy, kiss him and tell him that you love him," Danny said, grinning. "And after that, you drag him off to your room and you fuck through the mattress."

"Now you're sounding like Greg." Warrick shook his head.

Danny snickered. "Nick said the same thing this morning. Go," he said, pushing the tall wolf towards the front door, "Find Eric and straighten this out."

Pausing by the threshold, Warrick turned and smiled at Danny. "Thanks."

~.~

As soon as she entered the crime lab, Calleigh went in search of Eric. She found him sitting in the break room, looking completely dejected.

"Eric Delko." She glared at him.

"Uhm…yeah." Eric looked up and swallowed hard. Calleigh looked him as if he were one of the criminals she was fond of smacking around. _Not good._

"Are you stupid or did your momma drop you on your head too often?" Calleigh stood across from him, hands on hips. "This guy is the best thing that has ever happened to you and you're letting him slip away?"

Eric looked down. "I told you before why this never can happen."

Narrowing her eyes, Calleigh wondered what could snap Eric out of his martyrdom. Adopting a sympathetic tone, she said gently, "Yeah, you're right. It's probably too late anyway." When Eric looked up at her suddenly, she had to bite her lip to avoid smiling. "I went to visit Horatio, and I overheard Warrick saying that you two couldn't be together because you have Hunter blood."

Hearing his fears confirmed, Eric mumbled, "See, he understands."

"No, he is being stubborn and stupid - just like you." Calleigh shook her head. "Don't you feel anything for him?"

"Yeah, I do," he confessed softly, the admission coming easier than he'd thought. "After days of thinking and soul searching, I've realized that I… uhh…. I think I love him."

Calleigh grinned. "Good. Now I just hope Danny can knock some sense into Warrick."

~.~

Warrick stalked into the lab, looking for his mate. Spotting him in the hallway talking to another man, Warrick walked up to them. "Hi, Eric," he greeted his mate softly.

"Warrick…uhm…what are you doing here?" Eric asked. He was glad to see the other man, but he didn't want this meeting to be in such a public location. Not with Stetler there.

Warrick smiled, "We need to talk. Do you have a minute?"

"And you are?" Stetler said snidely.

Knowing he should be playing nice with his mate's coworkers, Warrick extended his hand. "I'm Warrick Brown, and you are?"

"Stetler, IAB," Stetler introduce himself.

"You're the _bad_ cop," Warrick said, an eyebrow raised sardonically.

Shocked, Eric looked at Warrick and grabbed his mate by the elbow. "Let's talk outside."

The minute they were outside, Eric turned to face Warrick. "Are you crazy? He is IAB."

"So?" Warrick shrugged his shoulders. "You know how many werewolves got convicted for crimes they didn't commit because of scum like him?"

Eric wasn't surprised; he'd heard the stories from Horatio. IAB wasn't just about convicting cops anymore; they also got involved in interrogating and convicting werewolves. "Yeah, H told me about that."

"Forget him. Let's talk about something else." Warrick moved closer to Eric. "Let's talk about us."

"Can this work - I mean, _between us_?" Eric asked him softly. "You know what my brother is, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Calleigh told me." Warrick nodded. "I've been thinking about that," he paused, wondering how to phrase what he'd felt. "I know it's strange, but I never sensed Hunter's blood in you - and believe me, I would have if it were there."

"What does that mean?" Eric asked confused.

"That there's nothing for you to worry about. The Hunter's blood in your veins is so minute that even I can't detect it," Warrick explained to his mate. He itched to touch his mate, to put a comforting arm around Eric – and it was killing him that he couldn't.

Eric looked at Warrick. In the past few days, he'd given a lot of thought to what his attraction for Warrick meant. His conversation with Calleigh had finally helped him come to grips with his sexual orientation. "This means we can be together?" he asked shyly.

"Absolutely," Warrick said, smiling happily at his mate. "Does that mean that you're cool with this? I mean with us being together?" He could hardly believe that everything he'd ever dreamt of was finally within reach.

Eric looked down, a blush creeping up his face. "I'm…I'm...," he cleared his throat, "I am, but can we take it slow?"

Smiling at his mate, Warrick moved closer and took Eric in his arms. "We can take this as slow as you want," he whispered against his mate's ear. Leaning back, he placed a s soft kiss on Eric's lips.

Eric was shocked by how wonderful it felt to be in Warrick's arms. Responding to the kiss, he moaned, wishing he could get closer. As Warrick deepened the kiss, Eric felt something stir in his gut and pulled back from Warrick. "What was that?"

"You felt that, too?" Warrick grinned. "It's the pull between mates. It means that two people belong together."

"I like that," Eric said, smiled as Warrick's warmth enveloped him.

Happy, Warrick leaned closer and kissed him again. "Yeah me, too."

TBC.


	5. Yours Mine Forever

Soul Searching series.  
Chapter Five: Yours. Mine. Forever.  
Fandom: CSI/CSI Miami.  
Pairing: Warrick/Eric.  
Author: Aiden.  
Rating: FRAO.  
Warning: Slash, language, supernatural.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* thanks girl as always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: They finally bonding.  
Author's note: Third part of my Were Verse.

Warrick watched his mate as he talked with Nick, Tony, Speed and Horatio.

It had been three weeks since Eric had finally confessed his feelings for Warrick, and in that time, they had spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other.

Missing his lover's warmth, Warrick walked over to the group and stood behind his mate, an arm wrapped around Eric's waist. Nuzzling his neck, Warrick hummed contentedly. "Mmhmm, you smell good."

Leaning back against his mate's muscular chest, Eric relaxed into the touch he'd learned to crave. When Warrick licked the back of his neck softly, he shivered and shifted, grinding his ass against Warrick's hard erection.

"Oh…Christ," Eric gasped.

Smiling at his mate's responsiveness, Warrick whispered heatedly, "You taste good, too."

Turning around in his mate's arms, Eric looked up and smiled boyishly at Warrick, pink tingeing his tanned cheeks. "Hi, there."

Warrick grinned foolishly, knowing he was falling deeper and deeper in love with his mate every day. There was so much he didn't know about his mate, but every day brought a wonderful discovery… another clue about this beautiful man that would become his eternal mate. The tough beta knew that he should be slowing down and being cautious, but he found that he couldn't care less about consequences and ramifications. He was in love with his mate and he knew everything would work out in the long run. Anything else was unacceptable.

"Hi, yourself," Warrick replied softly. Leaning forward, he captured Eric's mouth in a slow, sensual kiss.

Warrick thought back to the past few weeks. He and Eric and come a long way. They had started with walks on the beach, watching the sunset wrapped in each other arms - and now, they where exploring each other. They hadn't made love yet – and Warrick knew that his pack mates had a bet going.

The main instigator behind the bet was Danny, but he wasn't as subtle as he hoped. Snickering, Warrick remembered a few days ago, when Danny had tried to get information from him.

"So, how is it going?" Danny had asked casually. Before Warrick had a chance to answer, Danny's mate, Don, had grabbed him by the neck and dragged the blond into their room, waving merrily at the beta.

"What are you snickering about?" Eric asked, smiling at Warrick's expression.

Warrick looked pointedly at Danny, who was currently ogling Don's ass, while his mate talked with Mac. "Danny, he has a bet going on."

Curious about what the mischievous blond was up to, Eric asked, "About what?"

"About when you and I would sleep together for the first time," Warrick said. He hadn't meant to reveal Danny's juvenile games, but part of him wanted to see his mate's reaction to the topic of making love. Warrick had promised Eric that he wouldn't pressure him into giving more than he was willing – but it was becoming harder to suppress his urges to bond with his mate.

"Oh." Eric looked down, blushing.

"Hey," Warrick said softly, lifting Eric's chin so he could meet his mate's gaze. "I didn't tell you that to pressure you. We agreed to take it slow, and we have all the time in the world to bond. I'm just happy that you're here with me... giving us a chance."

Eric bit his lip nervously. For days, he'd been feeling like something was missing, as if there was a big gaping hole in his heart that needed filling – but he didn't know with what. Then he'd realized that he only felt that way when he was away from his mate.

Not sure if that was the 'pull' that the _weres_ referred to, but every day that passed, Eric believed more and more in the need to bond and be one with his mate. Once he'd made the decision to take their relationship to the next level, Eric had found himself floundering. He tried several times to drop hints with Warrick, to let his mate know he was ready, but Warrick had gone out of his way to play the gentleman.

Aparently, Eric was going to have to be blunt.

Looking up into his mate's beautiful green eyes, Eric ploughed ahead. "I want you."

Smiling at his mate's fierce expression, Warrick replied, "You've got me, you know that."

Shaking his head, Eric tried again. "No, I mean I want you... _now_."

Warrick stilled as the true meaning of Eric's words sunk in. "Are you sure?" he asked, feeling the familiar stir in his gut. Was it finally happening? Did Eric really want to bond?

Eric nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say those words," Warrick said as he leant down and kissed his mate gently.

Warrick's soft touch had Eric tingling as he returned the kiss passionately. "I'm _so_ ready," he whispered as they separated.

"Let's take this somewhere private," Warrick suggested, grabbing Eric's hand and dragging him out of the room.

Watching the proceedings, Danny grinned. "Yo, Greg, you own me ten bucks."

Looking at Warrick and Eric leaving the room in a hurry, Greg smirked. "Damn, you were right. Three weeks - it took him three weeks."

Watching as the blond weres continued to banter, Nick shook his head. "You guys never grow up do you?" Secretly, he enjoyed their teasing; they kept things from getting too serious.

"Where's the fun in that?" Greg asked his alpha.

Nick groaned. "Why do I even bother," he groused. Looking around for his mate, he smiled when he saw him close by. "Tony," he said, reaching out a hand to his mate, "there's _something_… in my office… that I need to show you."

Catching the not-so-subtle innuendo, Tony grinned happily. "You bet, _O Great One_, show me." Grabbing his mate's hand, Tony didn't even slow down as he pulled Nick towards his private office.

Seeing all his brothers go off for a little afternoon play, Greg needed no further encouragement. Moving towards his mate, he wrapped his arms around Mac's waist and said softly in his ear, "Can we try out our new toy?"

Catching Greg's question with his sensitive hearing, Danny chimed in, "You guys have a new toy?" Danny looked at his mate and pouted. "That's not fair. I want a new toy, too," he whined..

Don rolled his eyes and sighed. "Get your butt up to our room. We don't need a new toy." Smirking, he followed his mate out of the room.

Horatio watched everyone leave the room and turned to face his mate. "Are you in the mood for a little play time?"

"Always," Speed said, grinning as he dragged his mate out of the room and up the stairs.

In minutes everything was quiet, except from the occasional moan and groan coming from the bedrooms.

~.~

Closing the bedroom with a definite snap, Warrick leaned against the door and watched as his mate paced around nervously. Under the pretense of looking at the things he had lying about, Eric was monitoring his every move. Warrick barely stopped himself from smiling at his mate's edginess. Maybe if this were his first time, he'd be jumpy, too.

Approaching the other man, Warrick decided to take the initiative. The sooner he had Eric out of his mind with pleasure, the sooner his mate would relax and surrender to the inevitable.

Lifting his hands, he quietly started to undress his mate. As soon as he had unbuttoned Eric's shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, Warrick leaned forward and licked a path of his mate's smooth skin.

"Oh…fuck," Eric moaned, clutching Warrick's shoulders in a painful grip.

The beta smiled, but continued with his plan. Taking Eric's right nipple between his teeth, he sucked on it and flicked it with his tongue. He repeated the movements with the other nipple until he heard Eric whimper with pleasure.

When he unbuckled and unzipped Eric's pants, he felt his mate tense up. "Relax," he whispered, petting Eric's navel in a soothing manner. "Just enjoy the ride." Lowering Eric's pants and shorts, Warrick wrapped his fingers around his mate's hardening cock.

A shiver ran down Eric's spine at the feel of Warrick's calloused hand stroking him. "God… don't…stop," he hissed.

Warrick was delighted at his mate's reaction. He'd been worried that Eric wouldn't be able to let go to so many years of fears and conditioning. "Do you like this?"

Eyes closed, Eric panted as he arched into Warrick's touch, involuntarily thrusting repeatedly into the beta's hand. "I'm…shit," he gasped as pleasure spiked through him.

"Are you ready for me?" Warrick asked his mate.

Nodding, Eric let himself be lead to the king-size bed that dominated the room.

Warrick stripped quickly and retook his mate's hand. "I need to make sure you know what you're doing. Are you ready for this… _for me_?"

"_Please_," Eric begged, "make me yours."

Warrick nodded and pushed Eric down onto the bed. Climbing in after his mate, Warrick straddled Eric's hips and began to caress him. Solemnly, he looked down on his mate. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Eric replied, not a single doubt clouded his mind. He was exactly where he wanted to be – with his mate.

Looking up at the power man sitting on his hips, Eric admired the tattoos that adorned his mate's body. There was a wolf on the left side of his chest, which covered his heart; several tribal tattoos decorated his muscled, defined arms.

Warrick leaned forward and kiss Eric, shifting lower as he trailed a path down his neck and chest. He heard Eric catch his breath when Warrick dipped his tongue in his mate's belly button.

"Oh…God…please," Eric begged, writhing on the bed.

"Please what?" Warrick teased his mate.

Eric grabbed the sheets and arched his back when Warrick moved his tongue over his hard and leaking cock. "Warrick," Eric groaned.

Warrick looked at his aroused mate. "Are you ready for more?"

"Fuck…_yeah_," Eric moaned.

Sitting comfortably between Eric's legs, he patted his mate's thigh. "Lift up," he said as he put a pillow beneath Eric's hips. Grabbing the lube from the nightstand, Warrick drizzled some on his fingers. "Raise your knees," he said softly.

When his mate complied, Warrick teased Erick along the crease, letting his finger softly circle his opening. When he breached Eric, Warrick felt Eric's muscles tense around his finger. "Relax… it's going to be okay," he promised his mate.

Eric took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. The sensation was nearly overwhelming. He'd been worried about this, but the reality was so much better than he'd imagined. When he felt a second finger sliding into his entrance, he hissed in pleasure, his hips pushing back to meet that wonderful intrusion.

Confident that Eric was enjoying his touch, Warrick scissored his fingers, hoping to buy himself a little more room for what was to come. When he was satisfied that Eric was ready, he inserted a third finger and continued to stretch his lover. After a few minutes of teasing his lover, Warrick pulled out his fingers and rubbed lube on his own, pulsing cock. Kneeling over his mate, he aligned his shaft with Eric's opening and slowly pushed inside. Feeling Eric tense up, Warrick moved his hands up and down his mate's chest

"Are you okay?" Warrick asked gently.

Eric could only nod. It had hurt for a moment but the pain had immediately subsided. Now, all he wanted was for Warrick to fuck him. "Shit.. Move!" he demanded.

Warrick grinned at his lover's pushiness. "You're doing fine," he whispered as he began to thrust in and out of his mate.

"Faster…please," Eric begged him, jerking his hips up to meet his mate.

Warrick increased his speed and grabbed Eric's hard cock, rubbing it in time with his movements. He smiled when he heard his mate moan.

"I…can't…have to," and with a scream Eric came all over his mate's hand. For what seemed hours, Eric's body tensed as he rode the unexpected pleasure of his orgasm. He'd had no idea it could be that intense. When he relaxed against the pillows, he looked up at Warrick tiredly. "That…that was."

"I know," Warrick panted, his own orgasm starting to claw through him. He'd been so enthralled by his mate cumming that he'd held off on his own release. However, now that he was back to thrusting into the tightest, hottest channel in the world, he felt himself reaching the limit of his control. "Oh…fuck," not able to hold it any longer he came inside his lover.

Eric watched in wonderment as Warrick spasmed and came inside of him. He had never felt that with any woman he'd ever taken to bed. Now he knew what heaven was - here with his lover, _his soul mate_.

Slowly, Warrick pulled out of him, checking him for injuries. He saw a little blood covering his cock. "Did I hurt you?" he asked concerned.

"No, you didn't," Eric ensured his mate. "It was like fireworks, it was something I had never felt before."

Warrick leaned forward and kissed Eric. "That's the pull you felt. We are bonded now - forever." He felt a burning sensation on his hand and smiled, watching as the tattoo appear on his hand.

"What's that?" Eric asked when he looked at his own hand.

Warrick smiled. "It's our symbol, our bonding tattoo."

"This means I'm yours forever?" Eric asked his mate.

Warrick nodded. "Mine forever – as I'm yours."

"Forever," Eric smiled at his mate.

"Mmhmm." Warrick nodded, kissing his mate again.

Eric moaned into the kiss, deepening it. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

THE END.


End file.
